Five Boards of Strategy- Your stepping stones for Experiential Events
Over the past 15 years as an event professional, I have lived, worked, and executed many aspects of how to market a brand leading to an event. I have worn different hats and found that everything filtered down to ‘Goals & Objectives’ that inevitably tied back to Strategy.
With so many tactics to dig, I could never support one strategy to achieve all those goals. For example- As a marketing professional I have goals and objectives that help build on the foundation of the brand that I am working on. What is paramount, is driving awareness, and generating leads, to achieve the overall objective. My strategy and ideas came in the form of digital marketing, social media, demand generation, and creative content.
Fast forward and like many marketers, I had to learn by trial and error, along with great successes and failures. That lead me to these “Five Boards of Strategy” which contributed to my experience as an event & marketing professional.
Establish. Track. Measure. Map. All achievable goals.
“My goal is achievement whereas, the strategy guides me.”
Think about Event Strategy as a business plan for your start-up. Without a business plan, a start-up or business cannot function productively. Why do you ask? Because without goals, clarity, target audience, and go-to-market strategy, one can set themselves up for failure. It is like having a recipe without the ingredients.
What are those 5 boards?
Brand DNA, Persona, Messaging, Growth Marketing, and Business Continuity.
Brand DNA Board- This is the core that defines a clear direction for your brand. Setting the vision, value, and personality is key. The creation of brand DNA is about, looking inwards: Who is the brand? What does the brand stand for? How do we want the brand to be remembered?
What Is Brand DNA?
Example: My 2-year-old loves Smurf movies, and the manufacturer's Brand DNA is the Smurf-essence. This is what makes the brand unique and different from your competitors — creating your selling strategy.
Every organization might identify with its brand's DNA differently. It can be the ‘Legacy of Purpose’. Why was the company founded? How has the business evolved into what it is today? This essentially forms the brand story. People connect with people through their experiences, stories, and realities. This is why the essence of a brand's storyboard helps keep it organic and vulnerable while enhancing the connection between people and brand.
Many luxury brands — owe a lot of their success, customer loyalty, and popularity to their legacy and heritage. The core of their origin.
Three questions to ask when defining the brand DNA?
1. What is most important to the brand identity?
2. Intention- Be mindful of your end goal?
3. What experiences do you want your customers to have?
Persona Board- Defining a clear user persona will help guide the brand, while marketing efforts work to meet the needs of the end-user. When you shift focus on the audience beyond the product, feature, and sales, the brand becomes more approachable. As you engage the audience you collect the analytics to solve any pain or challenge. This positive experience creates a ripple effect that is used by the customer for brand advocacy and loyalty.
When you shift focus on the audience beyond the product, feature, and sales, the brand becomes more approachable.
Messaging Board- This is where it all ties together. Wouldn’t you agree that everything is an Event? Be it a milestone achievement, customer success story, or a new product launch? When moments to celebrate arise, hosting an event becomes an opportunity to promote the brand. The story comes alive through messaging, which forms the foundation for communications. Invite your customers down the path, moving forward with positivity and perseverance in all communications.
The story comes alive through messaging, which forms the foundation for communications.
Growth Marketing Board- To optimize brand strategy utilize marketing channels and techniques that compliment the brand’s DNA. Remaining active on the customer journey helps prepare the brand's identity and any unexpected hurdles that might block the growth. When you engage customers allowing them to drive their own brand experience, through the optimization of data, channels, and tactics — the end result is a brand's longevity and foundation that requires less effort to re-invent small changes along the way to stay current and meaningful.
Business Continuity Board- We have all witnessed how timing and impact can be disruptive and unpredictable. When we add people and experiences, it adds up to a new equation. Leading back to the DNA — and what people want to experience today.
Draw these boards to help achieve the goals you envision.
